Coopers Sparking Ale Kit Addition Reccommendations

[PostModern]

The stick on temp guage said the brew was at 30C when I pitched the yeast and hops in, put I am sure it would be more like 20 degrees.

[post="57148"][/post]​

How are you sure it's 20 when the thermometer shows 30?

 

[RobW]

The stick on temp guage said the brew was at 30C when I pitched the yeast and hops in, put I am sure it would be more like 20 degrees.


Is that ok?

Yes, as long as you are sure

Also some questions:

Shoud I have kept some yeast for bottling?

No there will be plenty in suspension to do that

What sugar should I use for bottling?

Any sugar will do but cane sugar is fine.

At 20-22C how long should I wasit unitl I check the gravity again?

Should be done in 5-7 days

 

[fergi]

sinkas,
if the stick on said that your brew was 30 deg then you can bet it was very close to that,i have tested all my stick ons with a fowlers vacola stainless steel thermometer and they are always within 1 deg,i dont throw my yeast in now until i get the brew down to about 22 then get it down to 18/20 by the next day
cheers
fergi

 

[sinkas]

Hi all,

Well it nlooks like I made a bit of a screw up, I was sure the stick on thermomenter, was just really slow reacting, but I think you were all right, it was about 26-30 when I pichted the yeast, will this screw the brew, I now have it down to 22, in a bath of water, with ice every morning and night.

If I was to rack this brew, does it matter If I leave it until sunday, 6 days?

Or do you have to rack before the SG drops too much?

Case

 

[PostModern]

Some rack at half gravity, some rack at 3/4. Personally I rack a few days after fermentation is finished - 7-10 days.

Good that you've got the temp down.

I'll be putting mine on shortly.

 

[sinkas]

Hi all,

Just a quick question or 2
1) I thought the brew had totally finished , as I had not seen a airlock bubble for a few days, then this morning, its back and brewing, even though the temperature is still as low as it was for the last few days..Should I be concerned that some sort of secondary effect is occuring?

2) I ma not really going to have time to bottle for a few weeks, will leaving it in the fermenter for the long be a problem?


Cheers

Case

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Don't rely on the airlock, use your hydrometer.

Might be an idea to rack into a cube b4 heading off

Jovial Monk

 

[sinkas]

Hi there,
Thanks for the tips Jovial monk,
I thought that it had stopped brewing, by hydrometer reading...
Where can I get a "Cube" at a HBS, or are they just 20litre water barrels?
Are you suggesting I refrigerate once in the "Cube"

Case

 

[ausdb]

Hi Sinkas

the main reason to rack it is to get the beer off the yeast. Get a blue Willow 20L jerrycan from Supercheap autos, they fit in a fridge real well and have provision to fit a tap to the bottom if you want. I also find they work well as a primary fermenter, just use the cone shaped pourer with bung in it and a piece of beverage tube down into a blowoff bottle.

Nice to meet you yesterday

Cheers Ausdb

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Yup, cube is a foodgrade plastic water container, about $15 at Bunnings--or Jovial Monk

I tend to refridgerate my cubes for at least two weeks--good opportunity to dry hop with a plug or two

JM

 

[PostModern]

I've finally got this bugger going.

Put in:

Kit

Boiled 30 mins:

1.5Kg LME (HBS packs)
400g light DME
400g dextrose
15g NZ Hallertau 15 mins
15g Hallertau flameout

22 litres. OG 1.056.

Pitched half a pint of recultured Coopers yeast slurry from an earlier brew. She's fermenting along nicely at 21C in a room about 18C ambient.

Will let this ferment until next week and see how she goes.

Bottled yours yet sinkas?

 

[sinkas]

Hi there Post Modern,
Have not bottled yet, I racked it afgter 2 weeks, and it was at about 1017 , its now down to 1014 or loer, adn settled, I will bottle late next week.
A couple of the WA members tasted a couple of bottle I capped when I racked, adn they said it tasted ok, so I am hoping it will be ok, clacuates to about 6-6.2 alch, but that is ok.

case

 

[PostModern]

I put mine in the keg on the weekend and tasted it last night. Not bad. Might need a few more weeks on the CO2 to improve.

 

[sinkas]

hi there Post Modern,
Mine has been in the bottle for a bit over a week now.
After one week, the bottles were still quite flat, and the beer is really quite sweet and a little raw flavoured. I think the extra POR was maybe a mistake, as it has become quite prominant, and gives a VB like aftertaste.

Cheers

Case

 

[KillerRx4]

Ive got the kitchen to myself tonight so its brew time

Ive got a few things i can put down put I think i will go with the CSA.

I dont have a 1.5 can of LME however i do have a 1.7 can of coopers draught, Reckon this will suffice?

Also will add the 1kg of DME & 500g dex.

I also have some cascade pellets I could add if anyone thinks it will need some extra hoppyness....Im considering boiling the lot up for 10 odd mins so will chuck in some cascade towards the end of the boil.


Sound good?

 

[BRAD T]

Hi Guys,
I am just about to have a go at a Thomas Coopers Sparkling Ale kit that I was given, I have read thru this thread and was wondering how you guys that brewed this in various ways found the finished product. I tend to drink CSA when I am out somewhere or I have nothing ready at home( seems to happen all too often, might have to start doing 40 litre batches) does the kit turn out like this?
I like my own brews to have quite a lot of body and mouthfeel so usually add a bit of grain to a kit to boost it a bit, what thoughts on this?
Also I feel that CSA is not the same beer as it used to be, does any one else have this opinion. From memory it seems to have changed about the same time as they changed from the ring pull cap to a twistie. Is this just me?

Cheers
Brad T

 

[Steve]

Brad - In the past Ive just used a bag of "The Right Stuff" from Cols and maybe some extra hops (as a tea in primary) . Turns out good. Im also putting one of these down this weekend for a quick quaffer. I will be using w1968 this time though instead of dry yeast. I also wouldnt mind steeping some grains to add to it so would be interested to see what people suggest.
Cheers
Steve

 

[BRAD T]

Hi Steve,
I was at Col's yesterday to get some LME and a bit of Cara Pils for a Best Bitter partial, at that stage I hadn't read the instruction leaflet inside the lid so I didn't get the LDM or dextrose, I guess I will have to take another trip. I also got a couple of POR rhizomes from Col.

Cheers
Brad T

 

[PostModern]

I don't think steepable grains would be suitable. Maybe JW trad ale malt would go, but it certainly doesn't need any crystal. 1968 would probably drop too clear (not that I've used it yet see here) for a true Coopers clone.

Best yeast would be Coopers recultured from the bottle.

But then, I've only done this kit twice.

 

[Steve]

cheers for your thoughts PM
Steve